Mitt Romney announces candidacy for President of the United States at Scamman Farms in Stratham, New Hampshire. June 2, 2011

Only 16 days since Mitt Romney announced his candidacy for President of the United States and June is being called…

Mitt’s very good month.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has enjoyed an impressive last month in the presidential race as his strengths, his opponents’ weaknesses and an economy-centered national debate have combined to solidify his status as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

The new NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll affirms Romney’s strengthened position. He stood at 30 percent in a hypothetical 2012 matchup followed by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin at 14 percent and businessman Herman Cain at 12 percent. No other candidate received double digit support.

So, what’s gone right for Romney over the past month?

As always in politics, movement never happens because of just one factor. Here are a few that have likely fueled Romney’s rise:

* The May jobs report showed just 54,000 jobs created and the unemployment rate moving up to 9.1 percent, allowing Romney to double-down on his attacks against President Obama’s fiscal policies.

* Romney was solid and serious during Monday night’s debate, a performance that put him on most post-game “winners” lists. The stumbles in that same debate by former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, who tried to make up for lost time on Thursday, further elevated Romney.

This is what a well-run presidential campaign looks like. Unlike in 2008, Romney isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, he’s picking his moments and, like the debate on Monday, performing well when he does wade in. His upticking poll numbers reflect the steadiness of his effort over the past month. Romney’s path to the nomination is still a complicated one — especially for a frontrunner — but he sits in the catbird’s seat at the moment. (Previous ranking: 1)